Il Volo

In May 2009, three fresh-faced teenagers, Piero Barone (17), Ignazio Boschetto (16), and Gianluca Ginoble (16), appeared on the popular Italian talent show "Ti Lascio Una Canzone" and dazzled television viewers with their flawless rendition of the Neapolitan standard "O Sole Mio." The boys, who won the competition easily, decided their group needed a name. "Il Volo," meaning "flight," was chosen to signify the feeling that these three young tenors were about to spread their wings and fly. It wasn't long before IL VOLO's managers -- Michele Torpedine (who has looked after the careers of Andrea Bocelli and Italian rock star Zucchero) and world renowned singer/producer Tony Renis -- landed a worldwide recording contract for the trio with Universal Music Group which released IL VOLO's self-titled debut album in Italy November 2010. The album is already certified gold and on its way to platinum status in their home country and will see a worldwide release in 2011. In addition, the group became the first Italian artists to sign with Geffen Records in the United States, where the album will also be released in 2011. Piero, Ignazio, and Gianluca recorded Il Volo in Los Angeles and Rome, as well as at London's famed Abbey Road Studios with Renis and veteran producer Humberto Gatica (Andrea Bocelli, Josh Groban, and Celine Dion). The album is a stellar showcase for these three young singers' astonishing vocal talent and interpretive gifts as they take on a range of both new and traditional, classically influenced pop songs.